Better Days // 좋은 날

5. The Unknown

"Again, again," Wheein pleaded, bouncing on the balls of her feet as she clung to Yong's arm until the older girl relented, cracking her fingers and loosening her shoulders as she resumed her position at the piano. The first four notes rang out in the empty practice room and Wheein's laugh echoed through the air as Yong played the theme song for the 'Teletubbies' proudly. "Wah, I love it," Wheein said with a bright smile as Yong finished her rendition and the older girl looked up at her with a matching expression.

"It took me three weeks," Yong admitted embarrassedly and Wheein let out a hearty laugh at the girl's shame, placing a hand on her shoulder and rubbing soothingly.

"It's okay, unnie. I read that it takes old people longer to learn things," Wheein said with a sympathetic shake of her head and Yong gasped loudly.

"Yah, I thought you were being sweet," Yong pouted and turned away with her arms crossed, enjoying the way Wheein instantly put a hand on her shoulder and turned her back around with a whine.

"I'm always sweet," Wheein blinked seriously, and Yong rolled her eyes with a smile she was unable to hide, eventually nodding in agreement. She reached over to brush the hair out of Wheein's face and tuck it behind her ear, her cheeks flooding with colour, still unused to being so freely affectionate with the girl. Wheein sighed softly. "I kinda want to kiss you right now."

Yong tilted her head, gulping subtly to hide her rising heartbeat and narrowing her eyes at the girl. "You kinda want to kiss me?"

Wheein muttered a curse word before quickly leaning forward and placing a soft kiss on Yong's lips and revelling in the way the leader tried to chase her mouth as she pulled away. "Don't tease," Yong whined, but stopped as soon as the door swung open and Moonbyul entered with the choreographer, holding five cups of coffee and arguing over a new dance move Byul wanted to include in their rehearsal.

"Still no Hyejin-ah?" Byul frowned as she noticed her two members alone in the practice room and Yong began shaking her head until she noticed said girl walking in behind Byul, her phone to her ear as she bowed her head in a polite hello to everyone, then moved to the corner of the room and spoke in low whispers before eventually hanging up the phone. "I've been waiting for 'my way' to return," Byul teased in greeting and Hyejin let out a small laugh paired with an eye roll.

"I had an emergency, unnie," Hyejin said nonchalantly and Wheein quirked her head at her friend's words.

"Emergency?" Wheein asked and Hyejin looked blankly at the girl and shrugged off her question, barely looking at her before joining the choreographer and discussing which songs they would run through.

"Did you two fight?" Yongsun asked quietly and Wheein shook her head in confusion, then bit her lip once she realised that she hadn't responded to Hyejin's texts just as much as Yong's.

"Can I take a minute to talk to her?" Wheein asked, sensing the deliberation of her leader who looked at the clock and sighed when she realised how far behind they were already. The sight of Wheein's pleading eyes made her sigh in a different way and she nodded in relent.

"Hyejin-ah, can we talk for a minute?" Wheein asked, unusually apprehensive as she reached for the girl's arm and offered her a hopeful smile, a tactic she had always used successfully whenever her friend was annoyed at her. And when Hyejin nodded, Wheein was thankful that her charms had yet to fail her. They went to the empty practice room next door and Wheein slumped onto a couch, with Hyejin following quietly behind her. They were quiet for a moment, an unfamiliar awkwardness threatening to settle between them and the only noise offering distraction was the screeching of Yong's laughter next door.

"I'm really sorry for ignoring you," Wheein began, her mouth forming into a pout as Hyejin looked up at her without much emotion. Wheein waited for her to speak, but continued when it was obvious the girl was not going to say anything. "I mean it, Hyejin-ah. I'm sorry."